The present disclosure relates generally to apparatuses and methods that use the duration and/or the frequency of animal urination and/or defecation (“elimination”), for example to evaluate the appeal of cat litter. More specifically, the present disclosure is directed to apparatuses and methods that use the duration and/or the frequency of the elimination sequence to diagnose if an animal has a healthy (enriched environment) or unhealthy (standard environment) elimination behavior.
Litter boxes are used by cats for elimination of urine and fecal matter. A litter box contains a layer of cat litter that receives the urine and fecal matter. The cat litter is granular and absorbent to facilitate formation of clumps after the urine and fecal matter is deposited in the cat litter. The clumps are typically sifted from the litter box using a litter scoop and then discarded.
Out of box elimination (also known as inappropriate elimination or house soiling) is the most common complaint of cat owners either seeking the help of professional behaviorists (Voith, 1985) or surrendering their cats to a shelter (Salman, Hutchison & Ruch-Gallie, 2000). Eliminating outside the box is the main behavioral reason for cats to be relinquished to shelters, and these cats have poor chances to be rehomed and often end up being put down.
Most published studies on cat elimination behavior have approached the topic from the context of diagnosing and treating out of box eliminations. While many professors, behaviorists and veterinarians have studied factors that may cause cats to reject their litter box, there has been little effort to distinguish positive from negative in-box experiences. Little is known about normal domestic cat elimination behavior.
There is currently no easy way to assess if the cat is using the litter box properly. Cats usually eliminate while the owner is not looking and frustration behaviors cannot be observed. Moreover, pet owners lack animal behavioural knowledge to identify if the cat has an issue with the litter.
Some previous studies (N. Cottam and N. Dodman, 2007) used videotaping of the cat in the litter box to evaluate expression of positive and negative elimination behaviors. The drawbacks of this approach are: (i) the behavior of the cats can be affected by the presence of a motion detection camera, and (ii) the video footage needs to be scored by a qualified and experienced behaviourist.